


The Joys of Multi-Tasking.

by malfoible



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 12:05:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5743210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malfoible/pseuds/malfoible





	The Joys of Multi-Tasking.

The sound of the telephone ringing broke into Dr Spencer Reid’s pleasant dream. He rolled over and snuggled into his lover’s shoulder. 

“ Too early.” He licked a long stripe up Hotch’s neck, he loved the taste of Hotch in the morning, warm skin still bathed in sleep, before the day took over.

Hotch could turn him on just by standing next to him, the slightest touch sent Reid longing for more.   
He wished there could be more than this…this occasional joining…coupling…

Hotch wrapped one arm round Reid while the other hand reached for the phone.

“Agent Hotchner. Oh hi Dave, that’s good, ten o’clock, yes I’ll be ready in half an hour. What?  
No don’t worry I’ll find Reid. Have you called Morgan and Emily? Yes fine. Half an hour.”

Hotch sat up and turned to get out of bed. “We got permission for a search warrant for the Judge’s chambers.  
We have to be there at ten. We’ll meet the others downstairs in half an hour.”

“Right. Em, I’ll find Reid?”

“He said he’d already tried to call you.”

Spencer frowned.” I should have gone back to my room, last night, after…”

“Yes you should have.”

A flicker of hurt passed over Spencer’s face. Aaron lifted the younger man’s chin and kissed him tenderly.  
“You should have and I should have told you to, but I didn’t want that, I never want that, I want you here, with me, always.” 

Spencer’s eyes widened, that was the first time Aaron had spoken about their relationship, talked as if it was more than a casual fling.  
He smiled and tried to pull Hotch back down onto the bed.

“No time, but if you hurry we can multi-task.” He pulled Reid up and into the shower.

They soaped and rinsed in between kisses and caresses, until Reid was prepared and Hotch took him hard and fast against the shower wall.

As they were getting dressed Reid grinned.  
“That was hot, and different. And I’ll you’ll never be able to say multi-task again without me blushing”

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?....”

“What? No, it was just more, em passionate than usual, forceful, you’re usual so careful of me, caring…”

“…..Because I love you, I wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

“You love me?” Spencer’s eyes popped open.

“Well yes of course, did you think this was just about the sex for me, Oh was…? Do you…?”

“Yes. No. I hoped, but you’ve never said the words, and me? Yes I love…too. “  
He smiled and tipped his head for a kiss.  
This was different from the savage passion in the shower, tender, loving, melting Reid’s bones to jello. 

Hotch lifted his head then took Reid’s hand in his.  
“There is one way we could spend more time together, if you agree?”

Spencer looked at him questioningly.

“We could tell everyone, well the team, I mean. We could share a room more easily.  
Not have to worry about people finding out. I’m not comfortable with secrets.  
Our friends, our colleagues should know the truth. I’m not ashamed of us, of our relationship. I, we, shouldn’t have to hide our feelings”

Reid’s eyes were bright as he replied.  
“Yes Aaron, I’ve wanted…I’ve hoped… I would love to be able to tell our friends.”

“ Good. Ok, when this case is over, on the plane home. We’ll tell them then."

There was one last kiss before Reid slipped along to his own room to collect his things.

It was a busy day. Reid spent most of it reading the Judge’s files passing anything important over to Morgan or Emily to collate or investigate.  
If he thought about Hotch’s words it was only very fleetingly. They were working a case, at work today, as on every other day his professionalism shone through.

Rossi and Hotchner received some information from a witness that pulled some of the threads of their investigation together.  
They drove back towards the Judge’s chambers. Rossi rang Reid then Morgan.

“Morgan, are you still with Reid at the judges place? I can’t reach him on his cell.”

“No we left some time ago to follow a lead he found. He’ll be there, just engrossed in his reading. There was a lot of it.”

“We’ve found out some things, we think it’s Walter Carson who’s behind it. He may be on his way to the Judge’s now. He’s dangerous.”

“ That agrees with the lead we were following. We’ll get back there A.S.A.P”

“Good we’re on our way.”

Hotch listening to the call, floored the gas pedal, racing through the streets, siren sounding, flashing through red lights, tearing round corners.  
Reid was alone, Reid was in danger.

 

Darkness.  
Total darkness.  
Unusual in itself.  
There was always some residual light if one’s eyes were open?   
Were his eyes open?   
He couldn’t tell.   
Another puzzle, surely you should know if your eyes were open, perhaps he was dead?   
An odd chuckle bubbled up through his chest.  
Why was he thinking of death?   
Ah yes the gun.   
The bullets two, thud, thud, into the vest but then one more, higher, eyes stinging. Bang.

So not dead but hurt, eyes not working, come on Hotch you’re an analyst, analyse yourself.  
What comes after eyes? Ears, yes, what can you hear?  
Beep, beep, blip blip, blip, beep, beep, then a whoosh like a sigh, probably hospital then,  
sounds like hospital…taste and smell. Bit difficult…plastic covering mouth…nose too…swallow. Sore…

Touch then, try touch… he lifted his hand.

“Dr Lee, I think he’s awake, he raised his hand.”

“Thanks Terry. Mr. Hotchner?”

“It’s Agent Hotchner, Doc, F.B.I.” 

“Agent Hotchner, I’m Dr Lee. You’ve been shot, you’re in hospital. Do you understand me?”

Not sure how he was supposed to answer any questions, Hotch raised his hand again.

This seemed to make the doctor happy enough to carry on talking.  
“The two shots to the chest were saved by your vest, they did however crack a rib.   
The third shot glanced the side of your head and caused some trauma to your left eye.  
We needed to remove some shrapnel and have placed dressing over both eyes for the time being. We’ll know more when we remove it.”

Hotch lifted his hand again to show he understood.  
He tried to open his mouth and the doctor went on.  
“We’ll remove the tube now that you’re awake, but you may find it difficult to talk or even swallow for a couple of days.”

The removal of the tube was every bit as uncomfortable as the nurse who talked him through it said it would be.  
He was pleased when it was over and after a dose of painkiller fell into a restless sleep.

The nurse was talking at the door, one of his team was requiring admittance and the nurse was explaining his injuries.

Hotch recognised Rossi’s voice. He moved across to the bed and spoke.  
“Hey, pleased to hear you’re going to be Ok. Don’t worry about the case everything’s sorted.  
We got the shooter. It was Carson and we were right about him, he was responsible, for all of it.”   
He patted Hotch on the arm. “Emily’s here too.” 

Hotch heard his footsteps walk to the door and speak softly to the nurse.  
Pressure on his arm and Emily’s voice making soothing noises as she took his hand.  
Her voice sounded odd, worried, as if she had been crying.   
Was she crying? She wouldn’t cry for him.  
Had someone else been hurt.  
Was it Reid?   
Had something happened to Reid?  
Was he dead?  
Alarms went off on all the machines, blare, blare, blare, loud like a fire alarm, Emily shouting for assistance.  
The nurse, people running, many voices, mention of adrenaline, shocks.

No! No! No! just tell me whether Spencer is dead, just say the fuckin words,” Dr Reid is fine” then my heart will be too…no need for the shocks…zzztt

It was quieter when he awoke, no sound of alarms, no people, the door opened and a nurse entered, she moved to take his pulse and he gripped her hand.

“Hey you’re awake. You gave us all a fright there. Your friend was quite upset. The older guy came and took her home.”

Hotch gripped her hand, wondered why he had never learned sign language.  
It would be ideal for this kind of situation.  
He could ask the question which had been burning through his mind.

They had run into the building, his heart had been pounding, calm down, Reid was an agent, a good agent, he had faced danger before.

Rossi and he had turned the corner to find Carson leaving the room.  
Had he hesitated?   
Was that why Carson had managed three shots.   
Was he wondering if Reid was alive in that room?  
No Dave was there too, he had fired at the same time as himself.   
Unlucky that’s all.

He tried to talk, a croak came out, the nurse held a cup with a straw to his mouth.

“The water will help. It feels difficult at first but keep trying it will get better.”

The water did help, a cool trickle down his throat, but not enough to help him speak. He lay back with a sigh.

The doctor returned later.  
“Hi Agent Hotchner, we’re going to take the pads off your eyes now.”

He tried the voice again. Croaked, “Yes.”

Gentle hands then glare.   
“Bright.” He closed them again.  
“Yes it will feel like that for a while but keep trying, it doesn’t look as if there is any damage. “

 

Three floors up.

Morgan heading towards Reid’s room could hear him arguing vociferously with a doctor.

“Dr Reid, I insist you stay in bed, you had concussion, you should stay here for at least twenty four hours.”

“Dr. Yeo, I know I’m concussed, but I have to see my frie…my boss, I need to see he’s alright.   
Now if I have to walk down three flights of stairs I will, but it would be easier if someone could take me.”

“ Hey Pretty Boy, why are you giving the Doc a hard time. He’s looking out for you that’s all, and we told you Hotch was Ok, so why the hurry?

“Rossi said he was Ok, then Emily came back crying, he had some kind of attack. Please Derek, I need to see for myself."

Harder men than Morgan had succumbed to Reid’s pleading face. 

“Yes Ok. I’ll take you down but then back to follow the doc’s orders. Deal?”

“Yes, yes Deal.”

Morgan took him down in the lift. Reid’s heart pounded with fear of what they might find.  
What if Hotch was dead? What if he were maimed, or had forgotten who he was. 

The reality was a quiet room with a sleeping man.  
The nurse showed them inside then left for a while.  
Morgan patted His boss gently on the shoulder.

“Derek can you just leave me here, I’ll just sit quietly. Promise.”

“I’ll go stretch my legs then have a coffee. Wait here and I’ll take you back upstairs.”

Reid took one of Aaron’s hands in his.  
He began to talk, generally at first then as Hotch didn’t stir, he began to recite, words from his mother’s journals, lyrics, poems.  
Words she had encouraged him to learn. 

When the nurse returned he asked.  
“Is he OK. How is he really? I’m his partner…”he trailed off after saying the words. Worried that he had said too much.

“He’s fine, really. Well he will be. He doesn’t seem to want to open his eyes.  
The muscles were slightly damaged, but he needs to give them a work out to strengthen them.  
If you could give him a nudge, maybe, when he wakes?” she smiled and left. 

Someone was holding his hand.

Was it Emily again?  
No this was a familiar hand. Spencer.  
The voice was familiar too.  
Was he reciting a poem?  
Song lyrics?  
Was he dreaming?  
Hotch tightened his grip.

“Hey. You’re awake, how do you feel?”

The voice still a little croaky answered. “Shot?”

“Yes you were. Three times. The vest caught two. The last one grazed your face, you’ll probably have a scar.  
Make you look macho.” Reid’s hand stroked Aaron’s cheek.

Hotch squeezed the hand a little tighter. “No, You shot?”

“No, he just clonked me on the head. I think he still thought he could get away with it, until he saw you and Rossi in the corridor.”

“Good.”

“I was worried…I had Derek bring me down here to see…then I told the nurse…I was your…”

“Lover?”

“Partner.”

“Good.”

Reid smiled. “I thought you might be annoyed.” He stroked Aaron’s face again then leaned over to kiss his lips.  
“The gravelly voice is quite sexy, aren’t you going to open your eyes and look at me?”

“Bright, and stiff.”

Spencer leaned over again and ran his tongue over Aaron’s lips then kissed him gently.

“Come on Hotch, don’t you want to look at me? Don’t you want to look into my eyes when you fuck me? I know you like that.”

Hotch’s eyes popped open at the words. Instantly he could see the face he loved, it wasn’t too bright. It was just perfect. 

 

Three months later.

Spencer woke with a groan and rolled onto his side reaching for his lover. Feeling only empty space he sat up.

“Aaron?”

He could hear the shower running and smiled.

The previous day had been so good. So much fun. It had been his birthday.  
They had spent the morning in bed making love, slowly, making it last, until they were each panting for release.  
They had lunch in their favorite restaurant then walked, holding hands through the park to a small gallery.  
Later they had joined their friends for a celebratory dinner.  
They had eaten and drank and laughed and danced until it was very late.  
Spencer had enjoyed the day very much but the best part was falling asleep in Aaron's arms.

He ran one hand over his body, down his chest, down his stomach. He wasn’t at all sleepy now. He was….

Reid stepped into the shower and turned Aaron to face him.  
Hotch’s face lit up with pleasure as Spencer kissed him then sank to his knees.  
Spencer took his swelling length into his mouth and licked gracefully. Then he stood.

“ Are you interested in a little multi-tasking, Agent Hotchner?”

“Ready when you are Dr. Reid.”


End file.
